The present invention relates to automated inspection apparatus for glassware containers production facilities, and more particularly to data processing apparatus for acquiring information from such inspection apparatus and compiling this information for reports to the user.
Modern glass container production facilities increasingly rely upon automated inspection apparatus for quality control, to provide automatic indications of possible machine malfunctions, for inventory, and other purposes. The glassware forming systems comprise a plurality of multisectioned machines known as "I.S. machines", for forming glassware articles from molten glass; a furnace and a forehearth and related apparatus for delivering molten glass to the I.S. machines; a lehr for annealing the glass containers received from the I.S. machines; and testing and inspection devices for ware emerging from the lehr. Such systems are often characterized by distinguishing the "hot end"--i.e. those mechanisms involved to providing the molten glass processing this to form glassware articles, up to and including the lehr, and the "cold end", referring to the post-annealing inspection of ware and the packing of acceptable ware.
The great majority of inspection developments in the glass container manufacturing field have been in the "cold end" area. There are a limited number of devices which monitor the containers being formed prior to the lehr, typically as they travel from the I.S. machine to a lehr-loader. In addition, this stage of the process typically includes some means for rejecting unacceptable ware. Such apparatus is exemplified by U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,332,606 to Gardner and 4,494,656 to Shay et al., both commonly assigned with the present application. U.S. Pat. No. 4,332,606 discloses "swab ware reject" apparatus for identifying glassware articles made in a particular section and mold of a multi-section I.S. machine during particular cycles of operation. This apparatus includes operator-actuated switches for designating one or a series of articles to be rejected following the swabbing of molds. U.S. Pat. No. 4,494,656 discloses apparatus for monitoring the procession of bottles or the like on a moving conveyor, and for automatically identifying, "down", "stuck", or tilted bottles, which may then be rejected. The disclosure of these prior art patents is incorporated herein by reference. The operational history of hot-end inspection and ware reject devices such as those described above provides valuable production information, which has not been effectively utilized in the past.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,457,772 to Haynes et al. discloses a "Management Control System for Forming Glassware" including four microprocessor systems responsible respectively for overall factory control, overall shop control (wherein "shop" refers to a plurality of independent glassware forming machine sections), individual shop control, and individual section control. This patent does not, however, disclose specific apparatus for compiling hot end ware status information and reporting such information to the user.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the invention to provide a system for monitoring the production characteristics of a glassware forming machine, and for providing operators and their supervisors with reports of the production history of these. As a related object, such a system should utilize information gained by monitoring the "hot end" of the forming machines.
A particular object of the invention is to provide accurate information concerning hot end production output and ware loss. Such information should be available by machine or shop, by section, and by individual mold cavity. Additionally, this system should provide information on other production parameters such as forming rejects and handling losses.
A further object is to provide versatile reporting capabilities, to enable plant personnel to specify report format and information content. Such reports should be available automatically, and on demand.